Sacramento daily record-union., 1887-08-06
THE FARM.
AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULT-
URAL MATTERS OF INTEREST.
The Question of Washing Butter
Attenuation OF Sex I'm Cattle
Other Topics of Interest.
WASHING RUTTER.

The custom of stopping the churn when
the butter is in a granular form is fact be-
coming universal. The precise point of
stoppage varies with different dairymen.
Some say that if the granules of butter are
larger than mustard-seed or bird-shot, the
sailing will be found even. and that under
microscope the butter will show the
granules unbroken and white in their cen
tiers but when as fine as mustard-seed, this
appearance is not observed. Others insist
on larger granules, up to the size of plump
wheat kernels. Of course they will not all
be Of the same size, but average in general
appearance the size indicated.
When the cream first breaks and be-
comes more fluid indicated by swashing
sound, and better by the appearance of
small particles of butter, the churn should
be stopped for the purpose of rims
ing the cover and all sides with cold water.
The water ought TO have as low temper
ature as 480 or 500 Fahrenheit, that it may
serve the purpose Of reducing the temper
ature of the granulated butter to $50 or so,
as well as rinse down any unchurned par
ticles of cream This will prevent the
granules from adhering TO each other, or
becoming smashed and broken by careful
handling. After the rinsing, revolve the
churn until the granules have assumed the
desired size.
There is sometimes trouble about get
ting the butter TO clearly separate from the
buttermilk at this point This occasions
difficulty in drawing off the buttermilk,
which takes the butter along with it.
Much, however, depends on the size of
the stream drawn, large one causing
more draft. But it is claimed that hand
full or two of salt, according to the size of
the churning, thrown into the churn, the
churn then being slightly agitated so as to
dissolve and mix the salt with the butter
milk, causes Il free separation Of the but
ter from the buttermilk at once. This
may be due to the fact that the salt coag-
ulates the small amount of albumen in
the cream. Where this is not in excess,
probably there is no trouble in getting the
butter to separate and float on the surface
OF the buttermilk, as it should. But if
any butter runs off with the buttermilk,
and the latter is drawn off into clean
vessel, there l.; little trouble in skimming
it off and returning it to the mass. Be
sides, the drawing off of buttermilk may
be done through strainer. All these
small difficulties, over which some people
appear to stumble SO badly, might be over
come by the exercise of a little judgment
when they arise.
After the buttermilk is drawn, pour into
the churn enough cold water to nicely
float the butter, agitate the churn gently,
and then draw off the water. Repeat this
operation until the water runs clear. A
great many dairymen give one washing in
weak brine. This can be done without
trouble by throwing salt into the churn.
Considerable is said about the effects of
washing butter. Some contend that it
washes out the sugar and other ingredi-
ents which they consider valuable. This
is plainly mistake. Only Gaseous and
foreign matters are washed out, the water
attacking none of the fats or oils What.
ever will wash out ought to be washed
out, including the sugar, which is 4 bad
element in either butter or cheese. In
the latter, 1t very soon turns to acid and
in cream much soured it has already
turned to acid before churning. If it is
not, depend upon it the sugar is such an
unstable article that it will not remain
in the form of sugar. 1t will soon break
up and Its elements will form new chemi-
cal combinations. Hence it is folly to add
sugar to butter, as some do, for they add
an ingredient that is soon going to iniure
the quality of their product. Washing
butter only frees it from foreign and de-
composing elements, and hence does it
good. The water, of course, should al
wave hn pr1ra = Cor D,1;,;, Lc.4,.-